Some bears hibernate in hollowed out tree-trunks. Some take a months-long rest beneath thick brambles and brush. Others dig into the hills to forge snug dens. And still others discover caves to hide away from the biting winter chill.

The public outcry over the selective thinning of beautiful — but non-native — pine trees from Oak Opening Preserve Metropark is being tempered by science that now shows the controversial Metroparks Toledo decision from years past is paying off.

Fire-breathing dragons really capture the imagination — leading many writers to ponder just how such a creature might spew forth a torrent of flame. How do we square such a fantastic adaptation with real-life biology?

If someone wants to build a dragon, how can it be made to breathe fire? It seems that all the elements that can make a dragon breathe fire can be found in nature without the help of artificial flamethrowers.

Two longtime friends and co-workers are sharing their love for the Mojave Desert with others through their new book, “A Natural History of the Mojave Desert.”

No fantasy world is complete without a fire-breathing dragon. SpaceX founder Elon Musk even wants to make a cyborg version a reality, or so he tweeted April 25. But if someone was going to make a dragon happen, how would it get its flame? Nature, it seems, has all the parts a dragon needs to set the world on fire, no flamethrower required. The creature just needs a few chemicals, some microbes — and maybe tips from a tiny desert fish.

Reliably bringing all of the ingredients together without harming the dragon could, however, get explosive

Research into the regeneration of eye tissue in embryonic frogs could support work to restore human tissue.

A UNLV scientist and her team have found that frog embryos can fully regrow their eyes after injuries, a breakthrough that may lead one day to the ability to orchestrate tissue regeneration in humans.

Xenopus laevis embryos of the African clawed frog, a species that had been used for decades to detect pregnancy in the United States, (only to be later released into U.S. waters after they were no longer needed in labs), has the capability to regenerate fully functioning eyes, according to researchers with the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

A UNLV scientist and her team have found that frog embryos can fully regrow their eyes after injuries, a breakthrough that may lead one day to the ability to orchestrate tissue regeneration in humans.

Diamonds, the super-strong and brilliant crystals of carbon atoms produced under the Earth’s crushing pressures, are typically valued for their beauty and durability. But scientists also value them for another reason: They contain all kinds of hidden messages about the Earth’s mantle. You just need the right tools to read them.